Beauty Queen Lala!
by Heavenly Garden
Summary: Lala is going to face her toughest competition yet: A Beauty Pageant! Does she have what it takes? And what will her friends think of her strange behavior? LalaxHarry
1. Chapter 1

I thought I should try another fanfic on this anime/manga. This is a pairing I've been thinking of doing for awhile. Hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own School Rumble, blah blah blah . . . .

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Lala Gonzalez, the competitive, athletic, Mexican girl from class 2-D, was watching television and snacking on chips. There was nothing to do that day. It was Sunday and her day off from work. She knew Ichijou was at home playing with her younger brother. Togo and Harry were out doing who knows what. So, that is how she ended up alone at home. It's not like she couldn't go out and do something. It's just that, all the sports she could go out and do were feeling a little boring now. Nothing interested her anymore. Then, the program she was watching went to a commercial break.

"Ladies, it's that time of the year again. It's time for the Miss Spirit Teen: Yagami District! Any girl between the ages of 14 and 17 are welcome to try out! This is a wonderful opportunity for any young lady," the announcer said. Lala took a pause from munching on her chip. Something about that grabbed her attention. She knew of these things, so she knew it took a lot of work to compete. Maybe she should . . . Lala shook her head of the thought.

"How ridiculous. How could I even think of doing something like that? I mean, what would be the point?" said Lala out loud. She reached for the remote to change the channel.

"And that's not all! First prize winner will receive a prize for ¥1,000,000!" Lala dropped the remote that was in her hand.

:: Next Day ::

Togo and Harry noticed something odd was going on. Well, actually, it was Lala that was acting odd. She seemed to be so focused on something lately, and it wasn't about beating Ichijou this time. Plus, earlier this morning, Lala found Satsuki of class 1-D and dragged her off somewhere. When Togo and Harry asked Lala about it later, she quickly said it was nothing and rushed off. Something was up.

Lala, however, was too busy to notice Harry's and Togo's suspicions, as she was thinking about her plans for the next couple of weeks while filling out the application for the pageant. After talking with Satsuki on the roof, she knew she had a lot of work to prepare for. And after their talk, she knew that it wouldn't be easy.

"_Satsuki, please help me!" pleaded a desperate Lala. Satsuki blinked at her senpai._

"_Sure, but with what?" asked the younger girl. Lala pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Satsuki. Satsuki opened it up and revealed a flier for the Miss Spirit Teen competition. Now, she was confused. "The Miss Spirit Teen? Lala-senpai, what are you doing with this?"_

"_Isn't it obvious? I'm signing up to compete," said Lala. Satsuki was shocked._

"_Compete? This doesn't seem like you. You always seem to be into athletic competition." _

"_I know, but look at the prizes. First place gets ¥1,000,000 and second gets ¥500,000. I need to win. And this will be my greatest challenge yet!" said an enthusiastic Lala._

"_Okay, but why do you need my help?" asked Satsuki. A small blush fell upon Lala's cheeks._

"_Well, I can't ask Harry or Togo for help on this. And I can't ask Ichijou either. It's embarrassing. So that is why I want you to keep this a secret, and to help me prepare for this. Can you do this for me, please," pleaded Lala. Satsuki felt that she couldn't refuse._

"_Okay, I'll help you. We are friends." Lala's face beamed with excitement. _

"_All right! We will meet after school to discuss my training for this!" said Lala. _

And this is where she was now. Lala will now dedicate her time in training for the pageant. That would mean class breaks, lunchtime, after school, and her breaks at Was Burger. Lala knew there was going to be a lot work to prepare for this. She remembered watching pageants in Mexico (A/N: In Latin American countries, beauty pageants are very popular on T.V. In fact, there the most watched below soccer games. The more you know! :P). Ironically, Lala always thoughts she would never become like those fragile looking women. And now, she was going to sacrifice her time to act like them. Desperation makes you doing crazy things. Just then, Togo walked up to her with Harry right behind him.

"Lala, what is wrong? You do not seem like yourself. How about we go feed our bodies with a jog after school?" asked Togo. "That will certainly stimulate your mind."

"Huh? Oh, uh, no thank you. I have things to do after school," said Lala.

"What kind of things?" asked a curious Harry. The boys noticed Lala stiffen for a moment.

"Um, just little things, um, personal things. No worries." For some reason, Harry and Togo became a little worried.

"You sure? Well, alright Lala. Perhaps some other time. Then how about we eat lunch outside today in the fresh, crisp air?" suggested Togo. For a second, Harry could have sworn he saw Lala's hands flinch.

"That is alright. I have something else to do at lunch. Maybe another time?" she said. Harry and Togo looked at one another.

"O-kay. Well, are you at least working later today at the burger place, right?" asked Harry. "We'll see you there." Lala was about to tell them that it was unnecessary but thought against it. If she kept blowing them off, they might get suspicious.

"Sure. I'll see you there," she said with a nervous smile. Before anyone could say anything, the bell rang. Everyone went to their own seats. However, Harry couldn't shake off the feeling that Lala was up to something.

: : Next Day : :

Harry and Togo were even more in shock than the day before. To anyone else, it would appear that Lala was at her desk, reading a wrestling magazine. However, a moment ago, the magazine slipped from her hands and for a split second, they were able to see a fashion magazine that was hiding in the first book. She then quickly composed herself as if nothing had happen.

Harry and Togo knew Lala better than anyone. There was no way that the strong, Mexican, female wrestler would be reading such a magazine without a reason to. As for a reason, nothing came to mind. Before either of them could approach her about it, the bell rang. Lala quickly put the magazines in her desk, leaving her two male friends with curiosity in mind.

At lunchtime, Lala swiftly put her book and notes away and headed towards the door. However, her other foreign exchange friends blocked her path. She bit back her grunt.

"Hey, Lala. Did you forget to bring your lunch today?" asked Harry as he saw that the only things in her hands were the magazines.

"Eh, no. It is not that. I was going to meet someone right now," said Lala. Without another word, she practically flew out of the room. Harry and Togo were left staring at her retreating form.

"Hmmm, it seems that our companion is hiding many things us," said Togo. Harry nodded but kept silent. He wouldn't admit it but having Lala not confide in them hurt a little. But, as long as she wasn't hurting herself, or anyone, it should be fine.

On the roof, Lala and Satsuki had complete privacy. They were both sitting down with magazines all around them. They only had a month to prepare, so they immediately began to start their planning.

"Okay, so these types of pageants always have the same basic scoring," started Satsuki. "To be vague, it's beauty, talent, and personality. You have the beauty portion pretty much down; we just need to fix you up a bit to fit the pageant's taste." Satsuki reached behind her and pulled out a paper lunch bag and began to remove the contents inside. "I told you that I would bring lunch for you everyday. I brought carrot sticks, celery, apple slices, plain yogurt, and a bag of almonds. Okay, dig in!" said Satsuki with a smile. Lala looked down at the meal before her with confusion.

"Is that all?" asked Lala. Satsuki nodded.

"You need to change your diet. That means, no more burgers and fries from Was Burger," said Satsuki. Lala was taken back by this. She began to have second thoughts about this pageant. However, she knew that Satsuki was looking out for her and kept her mouth shut.

"Very well." Lala picked up the celery sticks and took a bite. Satsuki smiled and picked up one of the magazines that were around them.

"You also need go work on etiquette. This is the most important thing that will be judged on. You have to act like a lady. More specifically, become a lady!" Lala did not like where this was going. "So, that means that training to become a lady starts today! First lesson: always have a smile on your face. This shows others that you're a good person. Come on, try it!" Satsuki eagerly looked at sempai. Lala, however, was not sure about it. She remembered the time when Imodori had said he wanted her to smile at her job. The memory just made her frown deeper.

"I do not know if I can do that. I only smile when I am very happy. It would be difficult to smile like . . . Tsukamoto," said Lala, shuddering at the last part. Satsuki began to ponder at this.

"I got it! Why don't you first try smiling around people you're comfortable with? That should make it easier," suggested Satsuki. Lala thought about it for a moment while eating her yogurt. It wasn't such a bad idea. She was only friendly with a few people though.

"I can try. But even that may be hard," she said. After talking for several more minutes about the preparation for the pageants, the bell rang. They both gathered up their stuff and headed towards the door.

"Wait," said Satsuki. They both stopped while Satsuki reached for something in her bag. When she pulled it out, Lala could see that it was lip gloss. "Put some of this on." After having it being handed to her, Lala took off the cap. A fruity scent descended from the colored stick. She gently applied it to her lips and gave it back to her kohai. "See. Now you have to smile with lips so pretty," encouraged the younger girl. Lala stared down at her and nodded.

As they parted ways, Lala began to think about the advice Satsuki gave her: smiling around the people she was most comfortable with. It was a short list of people. But if she could over come it, then she could smile always and become closer as a lady. Determination began to fill her mind. She could do this. She had to win that money. As she neared her classroom, she saw Harry also coming in from the opposite direction.

"Hmmm, he and I do get along," she said to herself. Harry noticed her and waited for Lala to get closer. He noticed something different about her.

"Hey, Lala. Where did you go? Did you at least eat something?" he asked her. As Lala stood in front of him, she decided to begin her training. She took a deep breath and curved her lips upward to form a gentle smile.

"Yes, I did. Thank you, Harry," she said. Harry's eyes widen and jaw dropped. This was not like Lala. Before he could say anything, they saw Kaito-sensei coming towards their room. They went inside the class and sat at their seats.

During the lesson, Harry kept glancing at Lala. He wondered what was going on with her. She was distancing herself from him and Togo, reading fashion magazines, and then she smiled and acted polite. What was going on with her? But most of all, since she smiled at him, why wouldn't his heart stop beating so hard?

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So what did you all think? Should I keep going? And how do you all feel about a LalaxHarry fanfic? Hope you guys review!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! I'm ba-ack! I'm sorry I haven't been updating recently. I had classes were I had to do term papers in each one and had summer school. When I finally got down to finishing this chapter, I promised I was gonna put it up sooner but Murphy's Law kicked in and screwed up my computer! :( So, anyways, the long awaited chapter 2 is now here. Hope you enjoy!

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Lala was sure she had gotten her appearance down. Every night before going to bed, she would cleanse her face and put on moisturizer. She even exfoliated her skin. Also, she would wash her hair with both shampoo and conditioner. And just to make sure no impurities enter her body, Lala began going on a no-carbs, no-sugar, no-fatty acid diet. Even to make sure she stayed toned, Lala began following T.V. yoga workouts every morning. It was a hard routine to follow, but Satsuki reminded her that it was all going to be worth it in the end. Lala hoped that she was right. After fixing her hair, Lala opened the door of her apartment and went off to school.

Harry was having a real hard time concentrating in class. His eyes and mind kept falling on Lala. There were so many things that were different about her and he didn't know how to bring it up with her about it. It was as if Lala was turning into someone else. What was going on with her? Did something happen to make Lala act so strangely? There were so many questions running through Harry mind that it was making him feel uneasy. The other thing he noticed was the way guys were looking at her nowadays. They're leering gazes on Lala made him angry for some reason. Perhaps it was because Lala was his friend and he didn't want any sort of disrespect aimed towards her. Either way, Lala's change in appearance and in behavior made Harry wonder what was the cause of all this.

And not just him. Both Harry and Togo were in a bind. They couldn't wrap their heads on what was going on with Lala. What could be the cause of their friend's strange behavior? For the past couple of days, Lala was not acting like herself. She was actually acting . . .like a normal girl. Could she be sick or something?

"You know, to someone that doesn't know Lala well, they would think that nothing's wrong with her," said Harry out loud.

"Yeah, but we know better. Something has clearly gotten into our companion. However, when we keep asking her about it, she claims that everything is fine. It seems that there is something she doesn't trust us enough to tell us," said Togo. Harry frowned at the last part. "Perhaps, we are not the ones to figure out what is wrong," Togo continued. "I think we should ask others who know her as well." Togo pointed his thumb towards down the hall. Harry took at look in that direction and saw Tenma Tsukamoto and Karen Ichijou chatting with each other.

"Those two?" Harry asked in skeptically.

"Maybe those two will have more insight on what is going on with Lala," explained Togo. "Excuse, dear ladies," he called out. Karen and Tenma looked up and noticed Togo.

"Hey, Togo! Harry!" exclaimed Tenma.

"Good morning," said Karen in a much more polite tone and bowed.

"Hey," said Harry deadpan.

"Excuse, but would you two be willing to assist us on something that has been troubling us?" asked a suave Togo. Harry almost felt like slapping his forehead.

"What do you need help on?" asked Karen. Tenma also seemed quite alert.

"It's about our companion, Lala. She seems to be acting very strange lately," explained Togo.

"Strange? Strange as in how?" asked Tenma.

"She's recently been keeping her distance from us. She's been reading girly magazines, wearing make-up, and she's also haven't been into wrestling. She seems more. . .feminine," said Togo. Ichijou was still confused.

"Has anything else happened with her?" she asked, hoping for more clues. Harry recalled the incident that occurred awhile ago with Lala smiling at him. The memory of it almost made him flustered so he decided to keep it to himself.

"Well, she seems to be acting very . . .ladylike," said Harry. Ichijou and Tenma began to deeply ponder about the information they were given. After a few seconds, Tenma perked up.

"I got it!" she exclaimed. The other three looked at her. Tenma then extended her index finger and thumb along her chin as she smirked. "She's reading magazines, wearing make-up, acting more girly. There's only one reason a girl could change like that."

"And what's that?" asked Harry. Tenma chuckled with self-assurance.

"She in love!" The whole group went quiet. It was as if time stood still around them. They didn't know whether to laugh or to consider it.

"Umm. . . Tenma, are you sure about that?" asked Karen.

"Why is it so hard to believe it? I mean, Lala is a girl too, you know?" said Tenma, defending her idea.

"Well, that is true," said Togo. "But still, Lala doesn't seem to be the kind of girl to actually go out of her way for love. However, I don't see any other reason for her to be acting this way. Right, partner?"

"Don't call me that." said Harry with a hint of annoyance in his voice but it really wasn't because of Togo. Somehow, the thought of Lala being in love with someone was really bothering him. _I mean, I've supported her in everything else she had done like ice-skating, but this? It makes me . . .upset, _he thought.

Elsewhere, Lala and Satsuki were continuing their plans for the pageant as they have been for the past couple of days. They had to find a new place to meet since it seemed like Harima kept going to the roof for some reason or another. So, Satsuki decided they meet in storage unit behind the school since hardly anyone ever goes there. Now it was time to move on to the next stage in Lala's training: grace.

"Okay, Lala. You've got the looks pretty much down. But now comes the harder part. You need to present yourself like a lady. Meaning walking and talking," explained Satsuki.

"What do I need to do?" asked Lala. Satsuki grinned and reached into her bag and pulled out something that Lala did not expect. In Satsuki's hands were a pair of pink, high heeled shoes. "You've have got to be joking," said Lala.

"Come one, Lala. One of the categories in the pageant is formal wear, so you'll need to wear heals for the dress. And also, this will help your posture, balance, and walk. Also, I heard it would make your figure stand out. But they will take some getting use to," explained Satsuki. Lala began to feel very uneasy.

"I don't know about this," said Lala.

"Sempai, this is a big deal. Girls in these kinds of competitions really take this seriously. So, you have to work twice as hard!" said Satsuki. Lala was hesitant but gave in.

"Alright. Let me try them on," Lala said in defeat. Satsuki grinned and waiting with anticipation to see how Lala would look. Lala started by removing her shoes and slowly putting on the high heels. Next, she carefully began to stand up. Satsuki was in awed at how different her sempai seemed with just a pair of shoes. The moment quickly faded when Lala began to sway back and forth, swinging her arms for balance. Then, suddenly, Lala fell to the ground.

"Sempai! Are you alright?" asked Satsuki, voice dripping with concern. Lala began rubbing her hips to soothe the pain.

"Yes. I'll be fine. I just need to learn how to walk in these," she said. "I'll just practice walking around in my apartment."

"Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt in those," said a worried Satsuki.

"I . . .just need practice," said Lala, a little shamefaced. "I'll take these home and practice. That is all I need to do, right?"

"That's the spirit, sempai!" cheered Satsuki. "Oh! I almost forgot. I got good news. My neighbor, who goes to a different high school, has an older brother who is attending fashion school. I saw him yesterday and he offered to help coach you for the pageant."

"Really? He would do that?" asked Lala. Satsuki nodded.

"Yeah. He said that it would help him out too. Something about charity for transfer to Milan or something. Anyways, he wants to see you and get to work. Oh, are you working today?"

"No, I'm not. I could meet him today. Where would be nice?" Lala asked.

"Meet him in the park near the school at 4:30. He'll be the one to walk up to you. Can you make it?"

"Yes. I will be there," said Lala with determination. Satsuki smiled at her upper classmate.

After class, everyone was ready to go home. Lala was no exception. She had to get home to get ready to meet her new 'coach'. As she was about to head to the door, Lala was stopped by Harry.

"Harry? Do . . . Do you need something?" asked Lala. The look on Harry's face almost made Lala worry.

"Hey, Lala. Are you sure you're alright?" asked Harry.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You haven't been yourself lately. I've. . .we've noticed a change in you," explained Harry. Lala began to worry. If her secret about entering in a beauty pageant got out, she would be a laughing stock. Plus, she wouldn't want to lose face with Togo and especially Harry. She respected him too much to have him think so low of her.

"I'm fine. Do not worry about me. In fact, I'm sure you're just imagining things," said Lala nervously. Harry's suspicion went up a notch.

"Lala, you know you could talk to me about anything, right?" he said. Lala blinked. Harry seemed to be concern for her. Before she could say anything, Satsuki popped her head through the door.

"Lala-sempai, come on! You don't want to be late," shouted Satsuki. Harry and Lala both turned to look at their underclassman. Lala felt relieved to see her.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I have to get going," she said. Harry was about to stop her but Lala hurried pasted him and left the classroom. He began to grow even more worried. What was Lala doing that was making her act so out of character; or worse, _who_ was making her act so differently?

At around 4:28, Lala was doing her best to hurry to the meeting place that Satsuki set up with her new coach. It was proving to be rather difficult for her with her wearing her new high-heeled shoes, along with a pair of dark denim jeans and pretty blouse. Lala was even wearing lip gloss and mascara. She lost count of the number of times she almost fell. After what seemed like forever, Lala had arrived to her destination: the park. She took a seat on the nearest bench and relaxed her feet. Before her feet could fully enjoy the break, she heard her name being called.

Lala turned her head and saw a very handsome man before her. He had long, brown hair, dark eyes, and smooth skin. He was even very well dressed. He was very handsome, indeed. He stretched out his hand towards her.

"Hi, I'm Kin Inoue. An acquaintance of Satsuki Tawaraya . You are Lala Gonzalez, right?" asked the man. Lala stood up and greeted him.

"Yes, hello. It is so nice to meet you. And I'm very grateful for your help," she said. Kin smiled at her friendly.

"No problem. I was hoping this could also help me with adding to my extracurricular project for my chance to study in Milan. So anyways, I've heard you entered to compete in a beauty pageant, right?" he asked. Lala nodded. "Cool, we should get started. Let's go shopping for some clothes for you. The pageant will score you in formal, casual, and athletic wear. We should start looking," he said. Lala nodded again and was about to walk beside him when she crashed into Kin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm still not use to heels," explained Lala in embarrassment. Kin just smiled understandingly.

"Don't worry about it. Listen, how about you hold on to my arm until you can get your balance?" he offered. Lala, quite embarrassed as it she was already, nodded shyly. Kin extended his arm out towards Lala. Lala, hesitantly wrapped both arms around Kin's arm. Proceeding with caution at first, the both of them began walking towards the shopping center.

Harry decided to spend some time in town to get his mind off of things, mainly Lala. He figured it wouldn't do him any good to fret about it if she didn't feel like letting out her feelings. Since Lala wasn't working today, he would just pass the time. Eventually, Harry was approached by two girls. So, as usual, Harry began flirting with the two very pretty young girls. He was complimenting them and making them swoon as always. He felt that by doing so, he could clear his mind off of the person that was driving his concern.

In the corner of his eye, Harry noticed someone coming from the other side of the building. He looked up and his eyes widen behind his dark sunglasses. There was Lala, walking with some guy. But it wasn't just that that made Harry stand still. It was that Lala was looking very pretty , . . . cute in fact. He had never seen her look like that before. However, his eyes narrowed when he saw that she was actually holding on to this mysterious man's arm. Harry clenched his fist. The two girls in front of him called out to him but Harry just walked away. He couldn't take it anymore. What has become of the Lala he once knew?

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So, what did you think? I've tried to keep everyone in character as much as possible. I'll try to put up the next chapters of this and my other stories sooner. Please review to let me know your thoughts and if I should keep going! Thanks!


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